Current changes being proposed to welfare benefits will have a particularly negative effect on women and children in Northern Ireland and are being discussed by our politicians in Stormont now. ActUpNI is featuring the ‘Empty Purse Campaign’, a women’s sector initiative to highlight these negative consequences.

As it stands, the new ‘super benefit’ Universal Credit will be paid monthly to a single nominated person in the household. A major concern is that this payment will invariably go to the wallet of the ‘male head of household’, thus taking money from the purse. For many women this will result in total removal of direct access to financial resources.

The campaign page makes it quick and easy for everyone to email their MLAs and ask them to ensure Universal Credit is paid to the second earner/carer in the household as the default position and that households are allowed to decide the frequency of their payment. These improvements would make a huge difference.